Mexico .. Crossing the border

Nogales has two border crossings, the first is in the centre of the town and enables people to park up either side and walk across to shop, they are also able to drive into the town centre. There seems to be a 'duty free' element to this for people from the USA side, there are also many families who are split by the border (it runs through the centre of Nogales) and this enables them to walk over to meet. The other border is off the I19 and gives you access to a toll road around Nogales and onto the Mexican highway 15, I chose this crossing. I got up early and headed to the border stopping on the USA side to hand in the card they staple into your passport when you enter the country, I literally just handed it to the guy at the crossing, they were not going to stop me. Then, you are in Mexico, there are some 'nothing to delare' or 'declare goods' lanes, a stop light system for the Mexican border guards to stop you anyway should they wish, they didn't so off  I went up a two lane highway.

A bit of a theme here, desert, very hot. It may be Mexico but those borders are only a line on the map. Petrol and then into the Oxxo (snack shop) for bottles of water and air con

All the action happens at KM21 on the highway, you pull over into a carpark and then walk around importing yourself and the bike. It starts with you, tourist card, pay for this, get photocopies. Also copy all your ID, passport, drivers licence, bike registration documents and take these back, pay a deposit (the Mexican authorities don't want you to sell your vehicle, this is reimbursed on leaving the country) and pay your fees. It took about an hour and I was lucky, there were very few people there, the immigration people were very helpful and easy going. That was it, I was legally in Mexico and able to travel where I wanted.

Somewhere to grab a bite to eat

I headed south, the only way for me. Stopped the first night in Hermosillo and then on to San Carlos, on the edge of the Sea of Cortez. Espanol for me not good but I had been practising the hello's and goodbyes, 'fill her up please' and trying to work the numbers, the locals were very patient. The motels I stayed at were fine, all the usual basic needs covered, shower, shower and air con, air con and air con.

View from motel in San Carlos, there is the sea in there, honest 

Stayed a couple of days in San Carlos, out of the sun and resting after the excitement of getting over the border. I kept looking for temps that were lower than where I was and realised that I needed to keep heading south to get a break from the heat. This took me down to Mazatlan, via an over night stop in Los Mochis, I was now down in the 30C's, a massive improvement. It also meant I had driven through most of  the state of Sinaloa, home of one of the bigger cartels. I felt no obvious increase in risk but it's often very difficult to pick up local cues/culture in such a brief time. What you do notice is the Federal Police (federales) and the road blocks, the municipal police stood on the back of pick-ups with machine guns in hand and the Army riding around in convoys with fixed guns on bigger pick-ups. Ummm, yeah maybe you can pick up some of those cues in a short time.

In a moment of rare bravado I took this photo of the municipal police in Mazatlan, it's the big pick-up with the stripe on the left, man standing up on the back with large machine gun, he waved as they drove by

Mazatlan brought me back to the Pacific, cooler breeze off the sea. Most of the hotels have a guard and there is always the fear that your bike wont be there in the morning, it is one conversation I always try to have when I stay somewhere, a safe spot for the bike please (a 'conversation' is possibly a bit more that I'm able to do). At this motel Trinnie was the guard, he wanted me to put the bike in front of the reception, I was sort of happy with it hidden by a van and thought it would stick out by the reception area (I was tired), although I realised he would be better able to keep an eye on it. He pondered this foolish gringo for a while and then directed the next guest to arrive to place his van behind my bike making sure it was totally hidden, what a man. He works 12 hours a night, 6 days a week for the equivilant of 100US dollars, he is married and has two children at school, they are grafters down this way.

Mazatlan beach front

I don't pretend to understand the politics/tensions in this part of the world, it would be patronising to do so, suffice it to say most everyone I have met has been really helpful and gone out of their way for me and I have never felt at risk. There are many toll roads here, pretty well maintained and they do allow you to cover some distance but it is also important to use the 'free' roads to get a better picture of where you are. The toll booths are all manned and it's a bit of a pain when you are on a Moto, especially in the heat, those gloves do stick on. Mostly it's a business like exchange, money, receipt and change and on you go. At this one booth the guy said '10 pesos' in english straight away (I can't hide my roots, the few I have), after the business had been done, he looked at me and said 'Hasta la vista', paused, raised an eyebrow and then said 'baby', he then fell over laughing, it was great. I was stuck with a Police pick-up behind me trying to stop laughing while getting my glove back on, a great guy. I was also struck by how he could see that my body so resembled Arnie's', even when I was in my bike gear, amazing.

Oceano Pacifico

So, onwards we go south, it's the only way now, will aim to keep to the coast. Next stop the Tropic of Cancer.